1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automotive equipment mounting structure in which automotive equipment is mounted via mounting portions to a vehicle body in the vicinity of a battery which is also mounted to the vehicle body.
2. Description of the Related Art
Automotive equipment of various types is disposed in an engine compartment. When the automotive equipment is strongly fixed to a vehicle body, a crush stroke of the vehicle body is reduced by the automotive equipment thus strongly fixed to the vehicle body in collision of the vehicle. This leading to a risk of the reduction of impact absorbing effect. In addition, in the event that the automotive equipment comprising electric equipment is damaged due to the impact generated by the collision, there is caused a risk that functions of other electric equipment may be adversely affected by disconnection or short-circuit that would be caused when the electric equipment is so damaged.
Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication Hei. 6-270697 (JP-A-6-270697) discloses an automotive equipment mounting structure in which automotive equipment such as an inverter for a driving motor for an electric vehicle, an auxiliary battery and an inverter for an air conditioner, is disposed in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle and is then connected to one another with links which are inclined relative the longitudinal direction. According to this structure, in case that the vehicle is in collision and in turn an impact is applied to the vehicle from the front, the auxiliary battery, which is disposed centrally, is moved upwardly due to the function of the links while the inverters disposed before and after the auxiliary battery are moved downwardly, whereby the automotive equipment is prevented from interfering with one another to thereby secure a crush stroke for the vehicle body so as not only to effectively absorb the impact generated by the collision but also to prevent the damage of the automotive equipment. Furthermore, the above-mentioned Japanese Patent unexamined publication discloses an automotive equipment mounting structure in which an engaging portion and a portion to be engaged are provided on an engine compartment hood and automotive equipment, respectively, whereby when the engine compartment hood is pressed from the front and is then bent upwardly when the vehicle is brought into collision, the engaging portion on the hood and the portion to be engaged on the automotive equipment are brought into engagement with each other, so that the automotive equipment is lifted upwardly, a crush stroke for the vehicle being thereby secured.
In addition, Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Hei. 10-23637 (JP-A-10-23637) discloses an automotive equipment mounting structure in which a casing for accommodating automotive equipment comprising a junction box for branching and connecting a wiring harness is constituted by a main body and a lid. The main body has a V-shaped groove extending in a transverse direction of the vehicle, and the lid covers an opening in an upper surface of the main body. According to the construction, when an impact is exerted from the front and the vehicle is brought into collision the main body of the casing is press collapsed at a portion thereof where the V-shaped groove is formed so as to absorb the impact so exerted. Moreover, the lid is separated from the main body upwardly so as to absorb the impact, whereby a damage to the junction box can be prevented.
Incidentally, with the mounting structure described in JP-A-6-270697, since a plurality of pieces of automotive equipment need to be connected to one another with the links, the number of components is increased. Accordingly, production costs would be increased, and also there is a risk that the links may not be able to exhibit sufficiently the required function in the event that the impact from a collision deviates from an expected direction. In addition, with the automotive equipment mounting structure in which the automotive equipment is lifted upwardly by allowing the engaging portion on the engine compartment hood to engage with the portion to be engaged on the automotive equipment, since the engaging portion needs to be provided on the engine compartment hood at a position closer to the front, there is caused a problem that the structure is difficult to be applied to automotive equipment that is disposed at a more rearward position than the engaging portion.
In addition, with the automotive equipment mounting structure described in JP-A-10-23637, since the casing needs to be designed larger in order to provide a sufficient amount to be collapsed for effective protection of the junction box when in collision, the casing tends to become larger than a size which is normally required for the junction box, which is disadvantageous in terms of space efficiency.
The invention was made in these situations. It is an object of the present invention to prevent the reduction in impact absorbing effect due to the interference of automotive equipment when a vehicle is brought into collision while limiting the damage to the automotive equipment to a minimum level.
With a view to attaining the object, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an automotive equipment mounting structure in which a battery is mounted to a vehicle body and automotive equipment is mounted via mounting portions to the vehicle body at a position in the vicinity of the battery, wherein a guide member is provided at a location where the battery that would be moved by a load generated when a vehicle is brought into collision interferes with the automotive equipment, whereby the automotive equipment is moved apart from the vehicle body in a predetermined direction by a load transmitted thereto from the battery via the guide member.
According to the construction, since the guide member is provided at the location where the battery that would be moved by a load generated when a vehicle is brought into collision interferes with the automotive equipment, so that the automotive equipment is moved apart from the vehicle body in the predetermined direction by a load transmitted thereto from the battery via the guide member. Accordingly, the impact absorbing performance can be increased by preventing the interference of the automotive equipment with other members that would also be moved by the impact so generated when the vehicle is brought into collision, and also the damage that would be made to the automotive equipment can be suppressed to a minimum level.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided an automotive equipment mounting structure as set forth in the first aspect of the invention, wherein the guide member is constituted by a plate-like member provided at least one of the automotive equipment and the battery.
According to the construction, since the guide member is constituted by the plate-like member provided at least one of the automotive equipment and the battery, the movement of the battery due to the collision of the vehicle can effectively be transmitted to the automotive equipment via the guide member.
According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided an automotive equipment mounting structure as set forth in the first or second aspect of the invention, wherein the automotive equipment is mounted to the vehicle body via the mounting portions which each have an inserting or clip-hold construction, whereby the automotive equipment is dislocated from the mounting portions, to thereby be separated from the vehicle body when the automotive equipment is moved in the predetermined direction in the vehicle collision.
According to the construction, since when the automotive equipment is moved in the predetermined direction due to the impact generated in the vehicle collision, the mounting portions are dislocated so that the automotive equipment is released from the restrained state by the mounting portions. Accordingly the interference of the automotive equipment with other members and also the damage to the automotive equipment can be prevented more effectively.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided an automotive equipment mounting structure as set forth in any of the first to third aspects of the invention, wherein the mounting portions are constructed so as to be disconnected from the automotive equipment when the translation of the battery reaches or exceeds a predetermined value.
According to the construction, since the mounting portions for mounting the automotive equipment to the vehicle body are constructed so as to be disconnected from the automotive equipment when the translation of the battery reaches or exceeds the predetermined value, the mounting portions are dislocated when a collision equal to or larger than a certain magnitude occurs. Accordingly, it is ensured that the automotive equipment is released from the restrained state.
According to a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided an automotive equipment mounting structure as set forth in any of the first to fourth aspects of the invention, wherein the automotive equipment is electric equipment, and wherein a wiring harness connecting continuously to the electric equipment is loosely supported on the vehicle body.
According to the construction, since the wiring harness which connects to the electric equipment which is the automatic equipment is loosely supported on the vehicle body, there is no risk that the movement of the automotive equipment is prevented by the wiring harness.
According to a sixth aspect of the invention, there is provided an automotive equipment mounting structure as set forth in any of the first to fifth aspects of the invention, wherein a hood is provided which is designed to be bent upwardly at a predetermined position thereof by a load generated in the vehicle collision, and wherein the automotive equipment is moved toward a space formed by the hood when the hood is so bent.
According to the construction, since the hood is designed to be bent upwardly at the predetermined position thereof by a load generated when the vehicle is brought into collision, the automotive equipment is allowed to be moved toward the space formed by the hood when it is so bent, whereby the disturbance to the movement of the automotive equipment that would be caused by the interference of the automotive equipment with the hood can be avoided.
The invention may be more fully understood from the description of preferred embodiments of the invention, as set forth below, together with the accompanying drawings.